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Sunday, March 21, 2010

I am breaking out the blog in honor of the pending passage of historic health care legislation. When I wrote to John Barrow last night, I asked him to be on the right side of history today. While he did not agree to change his vote, he does get credit for a prompt and personal response. This evening, when the House votes, he will not, I suspect, be on the right side of history, but his Party will be. This is not a perfect bill, but it is a toe in the door, and it will make it possible for more Americans to purchase health care and makes it more likely that one day, all Americans will have access to the health care that they need.

Update: Just heard Rep. Deal take the well to vow to keep Georgians from being subjected to the "unconstitutional" mandates in the bill. Sound to me a lot like what some said about the Civil Rights Act.

Update at 7:50: John Lewis is in the well. "We cannot wait, we cannot be patient. The American people need health care and they need it now." Dynamic, historic, vintage John Lewis.

Update at 9:30: Watching my sister's Rep, John Spratt run the debate for dems. At least her rep is voting for this. I am struck by all the references to back room deals, especially given that I have now been watching this debate for five hours. What secrets could possibly be left? Did someone make the Republicans swear a blood oath not to tell about the nasty secrets tonight on teevee?

Update at 10:15: Watching as the first female speaker of the house brings it home for health care. Go, Nancy! Your stock just jumped.

Update at 10:47: 219 to 212, Health care reform, the Senate bill, passes the U.S. House of Reps. with NO Republican support. Please, please, let them keep calling this the Democratic Bill. We will be calling it that for decades, and we will have a generation of "Health Care Democrats" just like my daddy was a "FDR Democrat."